XN000022-1977-08-08 — Page 2

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MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1977

WORK TO BEGIN ON AP LEI CHAU BRIDGE

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WORK WILL BEGIN NEXT WEEK ON THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SCHEME TO LINK AP LEI CHAU TO ABERDEEN, PAVING THE WAY FOR AN ERA OF RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH ON THE FORMER FISHING ISLAND.

A $32 MILLION CONTRACT WAS SIGNED AT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE MAJOR WORKS IN THE SCHEME.

THE CONTRACT, AWARDED TO GAMMON (HK) LTD., IS FOR THE AP LEI CHAU BRIDGE AND ITS NORTHERN ROAD CONNECTIONS.

THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY ENGINEER, MR. S. BARDEN, SAID AT THE CONTRACT-SIGNING CEREMONY THAT TENDERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTHERN APPROACH ROADS ON AP LEI CHAU ITSELF WOULD BE CALLED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

THE ENTIRE SCHEME, INCLUDING ALL ANCILLARY WORKS AND LAND ACQUISITION, IS ESTIMATED TO COST ABOUT $60 MILLION.

MR. BARDEN SAID: IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ON AP LEI CHAU, ALONG WITH THE NECESSARY SUPPORTING GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNITY AND WELFARE CENTRES, SCHOOLS AND MARKETS.+

THE 230-METRE LONG BRIDGE THE FIRST TO LINK HONG KONG WITH ONE OF ITS OFFSHORE ISLANDS WILL CARRY TWO TRAFFIC LANES, WITH A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 1,500 VEHICLES PER HOUR.

THERE WILL BE PROVISION FOR WIDENING THE BRIDGE IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE.

THE BRIDGE WILL ALSO CARRY A WATER MAIN AND OTHER ESSENTIAL UTILITIES TO SERVE THE EXPECTED POPULATION GROWTH ON THE ISLAND, WHERE A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IS ALREADY BEING BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE 19,000 PEOPLE.

THE BRIDGE WILL ALSO MEAN THAT THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A QUICK SERVICE FROM THE MAINLAND.

MR. BARDEN SAID THE BRIDGE WOULD BE OF THE BALANCED CANTILEVER TYPE, AND WOULD SPAN THE ABERDEEN CHANNEL AT A POINT NEAR THE ABERDEEN POLICE STATION.

IT WOULD HAVE A CLEARANCE OF 16 METRES TO ENABLE BOATS TO PASS BENEATH IT.

HE SAID THE NORTHERN ROAD CONNECTIONS TO BE BUILT AS PART OF THE BRIDGE CONTRACT SIGNED TODAY WOULD BE NEAR THE ABERDEEN TECHNICAL SCHOOL, AND WOULD COMPRISE AN OVERPASS AT WONG CHUK HANG AND SEVERAL SLIP ROADS.

/A FOOTBRIDGE